Classics News and Events
The Art of Veiled Speech, from Antiquity to Modern Times: 1st May 2025, 4pm
Subtexts are all around us. In conversation, business transactions, politics, literature, philosophy, and even love, the art of expressing more than what is explicitly said allows us to live and move in the world. But rarely do we reflect on this subterranean dimension of communication. Words don't just say what they say, and often we can understand (as listeners) and convey (as speakers) more, or something else entirely, than what is expressly said. Every day, we send out double-meaning messages and decipher those sent to us by others, without even taking notice. Greco-Roman rhetoric provides invaluable theoretical tools for thinking about this phenomenon, notably with the rhetorical notion of “figured speech”. History offers striking examples of the use of innuendo in ancient and modern political contexts. In personal and public life, veiled speech has many functions, including diplomatic, poetic, humorous and polemical. It also raises difficulties, as it carries the risk of misunderstanding. Criteria can therefore be proposed to remedy uncertainty and guarantee interpretation.
Congratulations to May Robinson
Many congratulations to May Robinson, current 2nd-year undergraduate, for reaching the final shortlist in the Classical Association’s 2023-4 "CA X Bloomsbury" Competition, for her poem ‘Pomegranate Juice’.
Congratulations to Elena Giusti
We are delighted to report that Elena Giusti has been awarded Warwick SU Transforming Education Award for Inclusive Teaching. The award is for an individual staff member who has developed their teaching and learning to be inclusive of all experiences. The nomination noted that Elena has 'created a pioneering module promoting the decolonization of classics. Well done and well deserved!!
Watch the announcement on video here.
Prof Michael Scott wins Classical Association Prize 2021
Professor Michael Scott of the Warwick Classics Department has been awarded the 2021 Classical Association Prize, awarded each year 'to an individual who has done the most to raise the profile of Classics in the public eye.' He will be presented with the award by Natalie Haynes at this year's online CA Conference 6-8th April 2021.
You can register to watch the prize-giving, as well as the rest of the conference, for free here: https://classicalassociation.org/events/ca-annual-conference-2021/
More about Michael's work can be found in this article: https://warwick.ac.uk/wie/staffengage/spotlight/february-michaelscott/
Michael has also written a blog about receiving the award: https://michaelscottweb.com/blog/classical-association-prize-april-2021/
More about the award, alongside previous winners, can be found here: https://classicalassociation.org/ca-prize/
PG Open Day on Wednesday 2 December
A PG Open Day for PhD and MA studies will take place on Wednesday 2 December.